Defining Strength
by Yaoi Scribe
Summary: Vegeta-sei AU. Jirae is an Elite Saiyan who finds his world flipped violently upside down when he's involved in an attack that puts him in a wheelchair. Forced into a situation out of his control he struggles to find himself and his place again while dealing with being part of a race that prizes strength above all else. *Yaoi/Dark Theme Warning*
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own the OCs and the plot. That is all.

Author's note: This is a Vegeta-sei AU and focuses on an OC of mine; a Saiyan named Jirae who is, regrettably, wheel-chair bound after an attack. He faces a great amount of obstacles as he struggles to find himself despite this most from the squad he was from. As an Elite, he's held to a higher standard and having such a disability is seen as a weakness and a mark of shame which just makes things all sorts of complicated. Warnings will be given as they arise. For the prologue they include; angst, abuse, and a hinted at non-con scene at the end. As always, I'm hard on my characters...Anyway...

_Defining Strength _

Prologue: Because Things Haven't Gone Badly Enough Apparently

__

_It was humiliating...but then everything about this was. Closing his eyes, he takes a slow breath and tells himself that it came with the territory, that he could go through this without having what amounted to an epic meltdown. His fingers clench tightly and he gives a scowl worthy of the race he was a part of at the distance he'd have to cross. Of course, that was the whole point behind this endeavor; how humiliating it was going to be to crawl to where he needed to be. Brown eyes narrow as he struggles with the commentary in the back of his mind that sounded, no surprise, like his idiot father about how he shouldn't put himself through such a humiliating ordeal. Unfortunately, Jirae was a little more stubborn than that. _

_It was slow, tedious, and he loathes the sarcastic commentary called to him as he does this. Honestly, did they have nothing better to do than belittle others? That he was wondering this made him think more than his back had been damaged. 'Just a little bit fur...' The thought isn't even completed before a hand tangles in his mid-back length dark red hair before he finds himself bodily jerked from the ground. "L-Let go of me," he grits out, "You sadistic FUCK, let GO of me!" _

_"Sure thing," comes the snide response before he finds himself carted to a centralized set of fountains and dropped into the water. Gritting his teeth, Jirae feels the onset of pure rage flood him though retaliating in his present condition was rather suicidal at best. The hooting laughter just doesn't make things any better to his already bruised pride. Not to mention it meant a longer distance to have to manage to cross before he could get to that damned chair. Gripping the sides of the fountain, he's hit with yet another internal question of why he was putting himself through this and part of him just didn't have a good answer at the moment. Dripping wet, it takes him a few minutes to even get to sitting on the edge of the fountain and he glowers at the snickering group before him. _

_"Do you have NOTHING better to do with your time and energy?" he snaps feeling his tail bristle, "I mean SERIOUSLY?! Go train or do something constructive that isn't harass me!" How in the world had he stood being in a squad with these guys? Oh, wait, he knew; he wasn't considered useless...weak...lesser. And the response he gets? A KI ball exploding close enough to send him BACK into the fountain and more laughter. Kais he was so damn sick of this. _

_Realizing that he just needed to keep still and they'd tired eventually, he merely stares up at the red sky and tries to ignore the fact that he was floating in the damn fountains because his former squad-mates were raving lunatics. It wasn't exactly a thrilling thought. He hated more the thought of having to get out of the fountain only to have to crawl for the damn chair he was saddled with. That was just not something he was looking forward to...not at all. "They're gone." A voice interrupts his internal musing and he gazes at the Saiyan by the side of the fountain looking back at him. _

_"Well, that's a relief," he mutters as he slowly moves to the side. Managing to get back up, he's a little surprised to realize that the chair is right next to it by the Saiyan standing there. _

_"They really have no right to be such a bunch of assholes." _

_"Oh, they think they do," he replies quietly. _

_"You know I do believe there is a law against swimming in the fountains, Jirae." _

_He inwardly sighs hearing the voice from the direction of the stairs behind the fountain in question that lead straight into the palace. "Majesty, I wasn't swimming," he says quietly, "I got flung in the first time and knocked in the second. Honestly, you should screen your guards a little more carefully." _

_"Considering you used to be on their squad, does it really surprise you?" _

_Jirae sighs and shakes his head. "No, my king." Honestly, could he get a break without having to be reminded that he knew what he was getting into with this? _

_"Then please refrain from entertaining them in such a way if you would be so kind." _

_He clenches his teeth stifling the sarcastic reply that craves utterance and focuses instead on getting himself suitably ensconced in his chair. The Saiyan who'd been kind enough to assist having vanished probably at the sight of the monarch because honestly, their king was an intimidating male. "Yes, Majesty," he finally manages to say without sounding like he wanted to strangle the other Saiyan with his own cape or the pendant around his neck. _

_The next great hurdle is rolling himself the distance to his residence which is exhausting considering that he was already tired from this whole ordeal. He'd be lucky to get halfway there by the time night fell or those morons decided on another go-round with him. 'This is your own damn fault, you know.' The unbidden thought once again sounding in his mind like his disapproving sire has him stilling a moment. "Yeah, great...I'm well aware I'm bringing this on myself," he mutters, "Because apparently, I'm masochistic in addition to everything else."_

_He forces his thoughts elsewhere and focuses on getting out of sight and to a safer location before he ended up in a worse position. Being tossed in the palace fountains while embarrassing and irritating was kind compared to what he could be having done to him. Soaked as he was, the suns going down meant that he was going to get cold before he got back to relative safety and that didn't make him feel much better all things considered. However, as he ends up out of sight of the palace it becomes quite clear just how much things were going downhill as he notices them lurking against a far wall obviously waiting for him. He feels his jaw clench and his tension rise. Great, he was going to have a fight on his hands that he couldn't hope to win with the situation being as it was. "What did I do to you that you feel the need to do this to me?" he demands as he approaches. These were males he'd trained with for years and it angered him to think that this is what it had come down to._

_"__Oh, I'm sure you can figure it out one of these days," comes the snide comment from his chief tormenter...and subsequently his old squad leader, "You're useless not an idiot, Jirae." _

_His lip curves into a snarl before he'd seethe, "You're a sadistic asshole so I think we're even on that aspect." It was the wrong thing to say and he knew it but his nerves were completely shot passed what he could possibly handle at the moment and he wasn't in the mood for this stupidity. However, he finds that it really wasn't helping his position to be this careless as the male easily drags him from the chair. _

_"__You really are going to be stupid about this aren't you?" _

_He grits his teeth, his hands immediately gripping the others wrist tightly. "S-stop it...and leave me in peace," he forces out struggling to quell the sudden and very real fear that grips him. His KI was struggling to right itself and he'd been warned that unless he thought he was going to die not to utilize it for the next few weeks. That put him in a very precarious position because while they were threatening him he was pretty damn sure they weren't trying to kill him. _

_"You have yet to learn to hold that acidic tongue of yours...so I think I lesson is in order, Jirae." The tone is enough to worry the dark red-haired Saiyan who was sure that this wasn't good. Unfortunately, it wasn't like he could manage to resist and hope to win at this point. As much as surrender galled his pride, it was all he had at the moment. It probably wasn't going to be enough to keep him from getting seriously hurt but all he could do was try and minimize the damage being done to him. A part of him, however, is quick to point out that there was little that could actually be done to further damage an already half-broken vessel. _

_His thoughts are quickly forced back on track when he finds himself brought to the barracks by the palace and dropped in what was the communal bathroom. He hits the floor and forces himself to not tense completely. "You don't want to do this," he says quietly, "I know you don't want to do this." _

_"__Oh, but that's where you're wrong," comes the snide response, "Besides, this probably will be the only thing such a useless creature would be good for." _

_Jirae feels his wounded pride sink lower. Really? Did they have to keep pointing out the obvious? He KNEW what happened made him LESSER in the eyes of the race he came from. They did NOT need to remind him of the facts as they stood. It was beyond cruel and unusual. The feel of the other crouching down before he finds himself rolled onto his back is worse than he'd imagined. "Wh-why are you DOING this?" he forces out struggling to hide the growing terror filling him. _

_"__Because we can," comes the response, "YOU of all should KNOW that, Jirae." _

_His fingers tighten as indignant fury fills him. "You...are unbelievable," he manages, "You would have been KILLED and this...THIS is how you repay me?"_

_"__You say that like I'm supposed to give a damn...You're still such a naïve fool. You obviously NEED this reality check." His tone was cold, final, and told Jirae that there was nothing more that he could do but get through it as best he could. The problem was that he wasn't sure he COULD handle this. Fate just didn't seem to care what he thought about the subject. _


	2. Part One

Author's Note: Angst, pain, and more of Jirae having to deal with things that just don't please him because he just can't get a break. And if it wasn't clear before, the reason that Jirae doesn't utilize his KI to help offset things is that the injury is quite recent and his KI hasn't recovered enough to be used in such a way. Until it adjusts he runs the risk of hurting himself if he tries...which he finds out the hard way...

_Part One: And Things Go Even MORE Downhill_

_He didn't exactly want to surrender the numbness of unconsciousness for what he knew was coming but he can't hold it long and a blinding pain greets him dragging a choked sound from him. His dark eyes slowly come into focus as he struggles to ignore the agony coursing through him that just gets worse as he slowly pushes himself into a sitting position. They'd left him where they'd dropped him and that made things entirely difficult as the sheer distance he'd have to cross to get near where his chair was wasn't possible in his current condition. His dark eyes scan and find his discarded and torn spandex and he grits his teeth. The thought of trying to do this smelling of blood, sex, and semen while barely clothed just frustrated him MORE about the situation. _

_However, he realizes that he might need to worry just a little bit more about the choice location as someone walks in before promptly stilling at the sight of him. "For the love of...You look like you got on the wrong side of someone," the male comments as he slowly approaches, his nose wrinkling at the scent, "Yeah, I definitely think you did." _

_"__A-are you going to state the obvious or can I manage to convince you to help me?" he demands not feeling all that up for being gawked at, "I'm kind of incapable of walking and I NEED to find my wheelchair preferably BEFORE they decide that they want a second round with me." _

_"__What you need is a medic because you're bleeding pretty badly," the other points out. _

_Jirae grits his teeth. "No," comes his hissed response, "No more fucking MEDICS!" His vision swims alarmingly a moment later and he belatedly realizes that the other might have a point before dots appear in his vision seconds before his vision goes black and the darkness drags him under. _

_"__...has no damn luck this month apparently." _

_"__W-what...did I do to earn myself a second visit to you?" he forces out as his eyes open._

_"__Why don't you tell ME that," the medic says gazing at him. _

_He looks away before answering, "A...misunderstanding." _

_"__A...Do you really expect ANYONE to believe that?!" _

_"__Whether or not you believe that is not the point," he says quietly refusing to meet the others gaze. What was the point in being honest? If he caused a scene about this then it was only going to get him hurt worse in the future. _

_"__Jirae, they assaulted you!" _

_"__I don't know what you're talking about so if I'm cleared can I leave now? I'm sorry for the inconvenience." _

_"__Jirae!" the male says sharply. _

_A tiredness settles over him; a sensation of being completely and utterly defeated that threatens to crush his already wounded spirit and he was pretty sure he knew an entire rank of Saiyan who was familiar with this. "I have nothing more to say on the matter." He makes his tone final broaching no argument with the other, "Can I leave?" Honestly, did the other actually think he'd TELL him the truth? He knew as well as Jirae that the only thing that would lead to is a worse situation for him. _

_"__There is a bit of an issue on that front," the male replies as he waves him towards the table by the bed. Slowly Jirae reaches out and takes a hold of the paper there. His brown eyes widen as he realizes what it was he was looking at. "I...They..." _

_"__You are cleared to go...but as for WHERE you go well, you're going to have to figure that out on your own apparently." _

_Really, he had to wonder what he had done to deserve this as a fate and then decides that bemoaning the issue wasn't going to get anything done. He was, if nothing else, a stubborn individual and he would figure this out like he'd done so many times before. Every problem had a solution; one just needed to find it. "Thank you," he says as he maneuvers himself into his chair, "You shouldn't be seeing me again." _

_"__Jirae, I still think..."_

_He waves him off. "There is nothing more to be said on the subject and I don't want it brought up again. It is what it is and that's all there is to it. I will heal, I will be fine, and I will handle my affairs such as they are. I am an Elite Saiyan after all regardless of the fact that I'm stuck in this damn thing. My KI will recover and while I won't be able to be in close combat...I'll figure something to do to be useful." He can tell that doesn't please the medic as an answer but since he couldn't force him to stay, Jirae leaves. 'Now what?' he wonders as he gets outside, 'I don't have...anywhere to go which means that I need to handle that first obviously.' That wouldn't be too hard considering that he was frugal as a rule and could handle himself without work for a while. He just didn't like the thought of not doing something useful. 'Focus,' he tells himself, 'Find somewhere with one level to live at. Doesn't matter what Class Quarter it's in at this point...as long as it's not Elite. I don't...really want a repeat of things.' He rather doubted that anyone in those quarters would help him anyway. Their rank had a tendency for not accepting any sort of weakness in their members. _

_He doesn't make it far before he finds himself with completely unwanted company. His brown eyes go to that cold place he utilized when on a battlefield. If they thought that he was going to get hurt AGAIN then they forgot who they were dealing with. "You didn't get enough LAST time?" he demands coming to a complete stop feeling his fingers tightening as his tail unfurls, the fur beginning to puff out showing his irritation._

_"__Aww, you sound a little ruffled, Jirae." _

_"__I'm not at all interested in you or your ideas of quality entertainment, I never have been," he retorts curtly, "So go about your business and leave me alone." Why, by the kais, had he even BOTHERED protecting this male? He should have just stayed where he was and let the target dispatch him and then deal with the situation. However, his personal honor code demanded that he protect those he worked with on the battlefield so he'd gone to his aid and paid for it...dearly. Honestly what did it teach when loyalty wasn't respected, when doing what was right made someone miserable? It said NOTHING complimentary in Jirae's opinion. Unfortunately, it was what he was stuck with. _

"_You keep talking like you have a choice in the matter," comes the sneered reply. _

_He closes his eyes. He'd been warned not to do this but he was sick and tired of being called 'weak' and 'useless'. Summoning his KI is harder than it's ever been and it's a struggle to get the KI sphere to even form over his palm. This was a bad idea on all accounts but he refused to be hurt again by them. He just wasn't sure how long he could hold his ground. "D-Don't...make me hurt you," he grits out, "I'm really not in the mood." _

"_Hurt us, really? Considering you're two seconds from having that vanish on you I'm not sure hurting anyone but yourself is actually possible, Jirae."_

_That might be the truth of the matter but he'd never backed down before and he certainly wasn't stating NOW. It wasn't in him and he refused to lose anything more to these bastards. He feels a tremble start through him before he's forced to let the sphere blink out as a violent coughing fit begins each reverberation feeling like someone was grinding glass into his internal organs. "Like I said, Ji, you can't hurt anyone but yourself." _

"_D-don't...call me that," he forces out disliking the flecks of blood on the fist that had been pressed against his mouth. This was all he needed; to end up dying out here. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise him at this point. _

"_I'll call you whatever the hell I please and you're just going to have to accept it." _

_His vision dims alarmingly keeping him from making a retort and he brings his other hand up to press against his temple as dizziness over takes him. 'N-not...again...Kais...just...don't let me wake up again.' The world tilts dangerously as his vision blurs and then finally goes black sucking him under.  
_


End file.
